Pursuant to 37 C.F.R. 1.71(e), Applicants note that a portion of this disclosure contains material that is subject to and for which is claimed copyright protection (such as, but not limited to, drawings and/or design elements). The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records. All other rights are reserved, and all other reproduction, distribution, creation of derivative works based on the contents, public display, and public performance of the application or any part thereof are prohibited by applicable copyright law.
This invention relates generally to hummingbird feeders and in particular to a feeder of unique construction of separable container portions and external support portions.
Hummingbird feeders are distinct from the conventional feeder in that, rather than the usual dry food consumed by most birds, the hummingbird feeds on simulated nectar. The nectar is generally formed from water sweetened with sugar. The feeder is conventionally suspended from a branch, building or specially constructed stand by a wire or string.
In previous feeders, various devices have been employed for inhibiting ants or wasps from reaching the nectar. Other aspects have been employed for storing the nectar in a reservoir and conveying the nectar to a feeding location, such as simulated flowers. Perches are sometimes provided so that the hummingbird can land to feed.
Examples of prior art hummingbird feeders are shown in U.S. Patents including U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,901,673; 4,558,662; 3,913,527; 4,691,665; 5,247,904; 5,924,382; 5,507,249. Design patents issued for hummingbird feeders include; U.S. Pat. No. Des. 252,288 issued Jul. 3, 1979 to Kilhar, U.S. Pat. No. Des. 287,652 issued Jan. 6, 1987 to Mack and U.S. Pat. No. Des. 333,538 issued Feb. 23, 1993 to Kingsley.
A common bird feeder design involves a threaded glass or plastic vessel (such as a jar) with a screw-on bottom with feeding openings. The screw-on bottom is typically made of plastic or metal, partly to allow the easier construction of screw-on threads. In order to achieve the threading on the feeding vessel, the vessel is generally made of molded glass that is relatively thick to support the threads.
Another common bird feeder design involves a blown glass vessel with a bottom tube that is sometimes mounted in a stopper. The tube is typically a bent glass pipe, with a small enough opening that the surface tension of the liquid, combined with the vacuum produced when the vessel is inverted, hold the liquid in the feeder until a feeding organism punctures the surface of the liquid in the tube. This design is very prone to dripping when a bird is feeding, for example, and is also very accessible to wasps or other insects because the liquid is so accessible. Also, the blown glass generally must be of sufficient thickness to support insertion and removal of the cork.
While a number of different hummingbird feeder designs have been proposed, many of these designs result in inclusion of plastic bases, simulated flowers, screening or insect exclusion devices, etc., any of which can detract from the aesthetic appeal of the feeder. As many hummingbird feeders are used near a home or in a garden setting, there remains a sustained interest in hummingbird feeders with a simple functional design that allows for easy refilling and maintenance and will also have a pleasing form in a garden or home environment.
The invention involves a hummingbird feeder that includes a storage vessel for nectar and a similar mated vessel for feeding. The two vessels are held together with fully or partially detachable connecting means, such as two or more springs or rubber connectors. The feeder is suspended by a wire that engages the storage vessel from a hook or loop provided thereon. The invention is overall characterized by simplicity in construction, function and appearance. In specific embodiments, the invention comprises only four separable pieces, the two vessels and two connectors.
In specific embodiments, the storage vessel has a shape roughly resembling an urn or flask or test-tube, with a hanging hook at the end of the closed portion of the vessel and a neck with an opening that fits into the feeding vessel. The storage vessel can be designed so that its shape will determine the extent to which its neck will extend into the feeding vessel or the storage vessel can include a lip or other construction that limits the extent to which its neck will extend into the feeding vessel. The storage vessel also includes hooks or loop or prongs for attaching to connectors for holding up the feeding vessel.
The feeding vessel is similar in overall shape and construction to the storage vessel. It comprises an opening for receiving a neck of the storage vessel also includes hooks or loops or prongs for attaching to connectors for being held up by the storage vessel. The feeding vessel also comprises structures allowing hummingbirds to feed.
Because of the unique design of the invention, according to specific embodiments, a bird feeder can be constructed without the need for any threading in either of the two vessels. Of itself, this may be thought to improve the overall appearance of the feeder. This also allows the feeder to be manufactured easily as two pieces of blown glass, something not possible if threading were needed. Finally, the design allows use of thinner glass that other glass designs, allowing creation of designs that are both light in weight and more elegant in appearance.
Thus, the invention provides a new and improved hummingbird feeder and methods for the same that has a simplicity in construction and assemble and that also is simple to fill and clean.
Other Features and Benefits
The invention and various specific aspects and embodiments will be better understood with reference to the following drawings and detailed descriptions. In different figures, similarly numbered items are intended to represent similar functions within the scope of the teachings provided herein. In some of the drawings and detailed descriptions below, the present invention is described in terms of the important independent embodiment of specific hummingbird feeders of specific design and construction, in some cases including specific materials. This should not be taken to limit the invention, which, using the teachings provided herein, can encompass a variety of different materials of construction and a variety of different design elements. It is therefore intended that the invention not be limited except as provided in the attached claims.